Separable snap fastener type socket member



March 27, 1951 w, A, BEDFORD, JR 2,546,716

SEPARABLE SNAP FASTENER TYPE SOCKET MEMBER Filed March 25, 1947 PatentedMar. 27, 1h95l SEPARABLE SNAP FASTENER TYPE SOCKET MEMBER William A.Bedford, Jr., North Scituate, Mass., assignor to United-Carr FastenerCorporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication March 25, 1947, Serial vNo. 736,978

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-217) The present invention relates to snap fastenersof the type employing cooperating stud and socket members adapted forsnap fastener locking engagement with each other, and aims generally toimprove the construction of existing snap fasteners.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a strongfastener having a continuous constricted walled stud and a substantiallycontinuous constricted walled socket member that will be strong andlasting in use even when subjected to relatively heavy loads.

A further object of th-e invention is the provision of a strong socketmember of one-piece construction for snap fastening cooperation with acontinuous walled stud.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedsocket member having a polygonal shaped stud-receiving opening and whichmay be manufactured from a variety of materials, such as carbon steel,beryllium copper and like materials that are subject to harden ing byheat treatment.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art to which the invention relates from a considerationof the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating anddescribing some preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan View of a socket member constructed inaccordance with the invention as viewed from the stud-receiving openingside thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one type of stud adaptable for snap fastenerengagement with a socket member illustrated in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the socket member as taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the stud member as taken on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a snap fastener embodying theinvention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating a modifiedform of socket adaptable for snap fastener cooperation with a stud ofthe type shown in Figs. 2 and 4; and

Fig. '7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 6 of a still further modifiedform of socket member.

Referring to the drawings, my improved snap fastener ncomprises a studmember I preferably of the continuous Wall type for greater strength anda socket member I0 formed from a single piece of metal and preferablyhaving a substantially continuous though yielding stud-receiving socketwall.

The stud member I advantageously may beV formed from a single piece ofmetal shaped to provide a support-engaging base 2 and an outwardlyextending stud having a continuous outwardly fiaredwall 3. The outerface of the stud `may be counter-sunk as at 4 to provide a continuousannular bead or rim 5 of double thickness construction and of a diameterslightly in excess of the stud neck diameter at the juncture of the wall3 with the base 2. Such a stud construction, per se, is well known andhas been selected as of the preferred type for the improved fastenerbecause of its strength and resistance to distortion and collapse whensubjected to pressure. As is usual with such studs the counter- `vsunkwall d may be apertured to receive a tubular rivet 6 or like fasteningfor securing the stud to supporting piece 'I which may be of any desiredmaterial, either flexible or rigid.

The socket member preferably formed from a single piece of suitablesheet material, for example sheet metal, shaped to provide a sockethaving a continuous annular dimension of the wall I2, is slightly lessthanthe diameter of the rim 5 and prei'erabli7 is such as to fit snuglyaround the neck of the stud I.

In order that the socket may be engaged With y and disengaged from thestud I with a snap action, it is necessary that the mouth end of thesocket be laterally or radially yieldable, to permit the passage of thestud head 5 therethrough. This is accomplished according to the presentinventicn by making the stud-receiving opening of the socket I ofpolygonal form, the walls I2 being composed of a plurality ofsubstantially straight sections I4 adapted to have bearing engagementwith a circular stud head 5 and points I5 midway their length wheremaximum flexing of the walls I 2 may be effected.

As stated above, the outer edges of the tapered walls I2 terminate inoutwardly flared supportengaging flanges I3. In order not to interferewith the resiliency or flexing of the mid-points of the straightsections I4, the flanges I3 may be notched as at I adjacent themid-points I5 to permit ready flexibility of the side walls I2 and themid-points I5 where contact with the circular stud I is effected.

As stated above, it is desirable, in some instances that the constrictedstud-receiving open- Ill of the invention is The mouth or stud-receivingopenwall I2 may not be necessary,l and where it is., desired te makeAthe, socket out of thickerV andV heavier stock, the mid-points I5 of thewalls I4 may be notched as shown in Fig. 3, or even slit towards thebottom Wall II in order to obtain the desired flexibility.

The socket member I may be secured to its supporting material 20 in anyysuitable manner.. As herein shown, the bottom wall is. apertured as atI'I to receive a rivet or. like fastening I8.

passed through the supporting material 20 and upset over the inner faceof the bottorrrWall II. The head I9 of the rivet I8 may be of any formor shape and when the fastener is usedA on flexible supports, forexample heavy fabric, the heeft Lemay, be @erw-1` 0r Otherwise @cementedto make a decorative fastening 'I-lieesocke't member ID of the inventionmay readily. be made from a; blank of sheet metal rorn a Wide'varietyYof metals of lmuch heavier' stock thanf'heretorfore has been used forsnap fastener sockets. /It'mayf be made of brass, carbon' "steel,beryllium; copper, as Well as other metals WhichV may be heat-treatedfor strength, in which. case the socket is particularly resistant tocrushingv forces, When.' made of beryllium copper fthe' fastenerprovides a superior electrical contact Yand coupling.

'In Figsf and 7,' there are illustrated slightly modified forms of theinvention wherein the studrec'eiving socketl Walls I2`a and |21 may bedespectively triangular or` hexagonal in shape. Thesocket construction of theforms shown in Figs. V6l and 7 otherwise conform to that of theembodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

From the above it Will be seen that the invention provides a multi-sidedor polygonal shaped socket', the stud-engaging Wall of Which is composedof a plurality of angularly joined straight faces adapted to makecontact with a circular stud at their midg-points. The socket thuspresents a circular series of VI-sections, the apices ofthe sectionsbeing reinforced againstJ deflection by lateral support-engaging flangesand the terminal ends of@ the V-sections being joined togetherand-rendered radiallyflexible by the ab'- sence of -Ia lateralsupportengaging. ilange.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred construction of theinvention with reference to selected illustrated embodiments,A I do notintend to be restricted thereto as the scope or the invention is. bestldeling@ in the appended Claims,-

I claim:

1. A snap fastener socket member adapted for fastening engagement with acircular stud comprising a sheet metal socket body having a bottom wall,side walls integral with said bottom Wall and extending angularlytherefrom in converging relation presenting a restricted .multisided,stud-receiving opening, the outer end of each of said walls forming aside of said opening, and al support-engaging rim connected to saidwalls at their outer ends and being of less Width p adjacent themid-points of said sides to increase the flexibility of the sidesadjacent the midpoints thereof relative, to the ends thereof.

2, A snap fastener socket comprising a sheet metal socket body having asubstantially rectangular bottom Wall, side walls extending angguwlarlylfrom the edges of said bottoni Wall in convergent.,

relation presenting a restricted rectangular stud,- receiving openingadapted for snap fastener engagement With` a circular stud, the outerextremity of each side wall formingga side ot said;Open-v ing, themidsections of-v said side Walls around said rectangular stud-receivingopening-lbeing*v of greater flexibility than the ends thereof, said endsbeing integrally joined to present solid-relatively stiff corners, andsupport-engaging anges extending laterally from the rectangularstudreceiving opening from the mid-section of onesidewall to thelmid-sectionzof an adjacentside Wall, each of sadsupport-engaging flangesbeingy integrally joined tot'contiguous end portions of adjacent sideWalls` WILLIAMA. BEDFORD, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the nie of,ythis patent:

UNITED STATES' PA'IENTSV Number Name Date 1,538,350 Rearson May 19,19425A 2,009,876 Dahlin JulySO, '1935 2,085,486 Villani June 29, 193,72,166,894l Jones July 18',- 19.39v`v

